Tangancicuaro

Dear Maureen,

Have you ever been there? It is soo beautiful. It is also one of the few
places where Native Americans abound...El Valle is about 15 minutes from
Tangancicuaro...and the border between El Valle and Etucuaro is virtually
non-existent. Etucuaro is obviously indigenous, while El Valle is obviously not, and
they have rivalry issues. Bordering El Valle are also two small towns called
San Antonio and Gomez Farias. If you are interested...I can send you some
pictures. El Valle de Guadalupe has an internet site, with some interesting
verbal history that was recorded and some neat pictures.

Wow....You are absolutely right about those family names...very prevalent in
El Valle. Here's what I was able to get from my husband's great aunt, who
by the way is in her mid 80's and is a nun in Jacona, Michoacan where I took a
picture of when it was founded (1520's).

As you can see, there are several Rochas....one through my mother-in-law
side and again through my father'in-law's side. According oral tradition...the
Duartes and Rochas were very prominent...having obtained most of their money
from bootlegging (you can imagine this information did not come from my
in-laws (lol)...rather, it came from other older men.... I can get some
information from my mother-in-law about her Rocha side of the family.....

It is believed that Pedro Ortiz was born in San Antonio, according to my
deceased father-in-law. But newer information revealed that he was born off in
a small ranch.

Juan Duarte who married Maria Rocha....one of their children's names was:
Ramon Duarte who married Amada Valdez (Amada's mom's name was
Socorro)...they had the following:
Faustino
Julio
Cipriano
Francisco
Empidia Duarte Valdez married Pedro Ortiz (my H's ggrandfather)
there was a previous marriage--name nunknow
Raul Ortiz Duarte (born in 1926) married to Maria Madrigal Rocha
Javier Ortiz Madrigal (my H)
Jesus
Jose Guadalupe who married Rutila Cardenas
Ester
Jose Guadalupe
Herminia (the nun)
Efrain
Adelina Duarte

No rush...take your time...
Esperanza

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